From Brexit to strategic alliance: EU-UK pact changes the rules of the game in European security

The representatives of the European Union and Great Britain are to sign a defense and security pact today in London, a gesture with a strong symbolic and strategic charge, at a time marked by global geopolitical turbulence, according to an article published by the Euractiv website. The cited source states that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to press the "reset button" in the relationship with the EU, and the signing of this pact represents a central piece in his strategy since the electoral campaign last summer. The proposed pact is part of a wider series of similar agreements that the Union has already concluded with states such as Japan, South Korea or the Republic of Moldova. These agreements are generally concise: they facilitate joint military exercises, dialogue on cybersecurity and formulate general commitments that are easy for both parties to respect. However, they do not automatically imply access to European defense funds, the declared ultimate goal of the United Kingdom.

The agreement to be signed with the United Kingdom will be only a first step towards the eventual inclusion of British companies in joint EU arms procurement initiatives, provided that London contributes financially. But this pact represents more than a simple formality: it is evidence of the awareness, on the British side, that the EU plays an increasingly important role in the European defense architecture, amid the gradual withdrawal of the US from its position as the continent's main protector.

Looking back five years, Monday's pact largely resumes the broad outlines of a proposal made by the EU in 2019, during tense Brexit negotiations. At the time, London seemed eager to distance itself from Brussels at all costs.

"Some in the UK saw Brexit as an opportunity for a different foreign policy in Europe, rather than always being aligned with France and Germany, but no one says that anymore," Ian Bond, deputy director of the Center for European Reform, noted for the cited source.

In the absence of a formal agreement, British participation in EU missions has been, in recent years, ad hoc, and the British defense industry has remained outside the European industrial policies in the field. This lack of political commitment has left the relationship between the EU and the UK in a superficial area, compared to other partnerships of the Union. But the return of Donald Trump to the White House has rekindled commitments to defense spending on both sides and revitalized the political will for deeper collaboration.

Currently, the European Commission wants to invest hundreds of billions of euros in European arms production, and the United Kingdom wants to be part of this initiative. Like Norway, London could gain access to the EU's euro150 billion fund for the purchase of arms and military equipment, in exchange for a financial contribution, which will be determined after the agreement to be concluded between the two parties today.

We note that the UK has a strong defense and aerospace industry - from Rolls Royce and BAE Systems, to subsidiaries of MBDA, Leonardo, Airbus and Thales - that is difficult for the EU to ignore. European governments could need all these resources to achieve their ambitious rearmament goals.

"NATO has a limited role in industrial cooperation in the field of defense. If the EU stimulates this area, it makes sense for the United Kingdom to maintain its commitment," Ian Bond told Euractiv.

At the same time, it is natural for the EU to rely on the military power of its closest neighbor and former member. The UK was among the first countries to train Ukrainian soldiers after the Russian invasion of their country, and Keir Starmer, alongside Emmanuel Macron, is playing a key role in shaping a Western military presence in post-conflict Ukraine. The UK recently took over the co-chairmanship of the Ramstein forum, alongside Germany - a focal point for military support to Ukraine.

The pact to be signed today will pave the way for deeper future cooperation, especially as the UK will commit to regular participation in EU missions and operations.

However, signing the document will not automatically resolve the more delicate issues of the relationship. The UK asked to join a European military mobility programme three years ago, but is still waiting for a response.

The broad support for the pact does not change the procedural reality of the EU either: any agreement must be approved by all 27 member states, and any one of them can block the process. Spain, for example, has said that any increased cooperation with Britain depends on progress in the complicated negotiations over the future of Gibraltar.

Today, these frictions will take a back seat. The focus will be on a pact that, just five years ago, seemed impossible.